دنيايَ ناشِزَةٌ فإن فارَقتُهَا

دنيايَ ناشِزَةٌ فإن فارَقتُهَا

طوعاً وإلا فارقَتْنِي كارِهَا

طوعاً وإلا فارقَتْنِي كارِهَا

My world is a rebellious wife: either I part from her

My stubborn life, if I leave it willingly

willingly, or she parts from me against my will.

Or else it will leave me unwillingly

إنّا لَنُنْكِرُ سوءَ عاقبةِ الورَى

إنّا لَنُنْكِرُ سوءَ عاقبةِ الورَى

فيها ونَهْوَاها على إِنكارها

فيها ونَهْوَاها على إِنكارها

We surely deplore humankind’s wretched end

We surely deny the evil consequence of fate

in her, yet love her despite our disapproval of her.

In it, and disapprove it in denial

كلٌّ بها كَلِفٌ ومن يزهدْ يكُنْ

كلٌّ بها كَلِفٌ ومن يزهدْ يكُنْ

في زُهْدِهِ متكلِّفاً مُتَكارها

في زُهْدِهِ متكلِّفاً مُتَكارها

Everyone is enamored of her; whoever renounces her is

Everyone in it feels burdened, and whoever detaches

forcing himself and acting unwillingly in his renunciation.

In their detachment is pretentious and reluctant

أَذْكَرتُ نَفْسي مَصْرَع الآباءِ مِنْ

أَذْكَرتُ نَفْسي مَصْرَع الآباءِ مِنْ

قَبْلي فَمَا أَصْغَتْ إلى إِذْكَارِهَا

قَبْلي فَمَا أَصْغَتْ إلى إِذْكَارِهَا

I reminded my soul of the death of the forefathers

I reminded myself of my forefathers' death

before me, but she paid no heed to the reminder.

Before me, but it did not listen to my reminder

وعجِبْتُ منها كَيفَ لم يَجْرِ الذِي

وعجِبْتُ منها كَيفَ لم يَجْرِ الذِي

خُلِقَتْ لهُ يَوْماً عَلى أَفْكَارِهَا

خُلِقَتْ لهُ يَوْماً عَلى أَفْكَارِهَا

And I marveled at her: how had that for which

And I wondered at it, how has it not flowed

she was created never once crossed her thoughts?

For that which it was created one day in its thoughts

والمَوتُ إن لم يأتِ في إِمْسائها

والمَوتُ إن لم يأتِ في إِمْسائها

وافَى معَ الإِصْباح في إِبْكَارِهَا

وافَى معَ الإِصْباح في إِبْكَارِهَا

And death, if it does not come in her evening,

And if death does not come at nightfall

arrives with daybreak in her early morning.

It meets at dawn in its blossoming

وأمَامَها السَّفَرُ البَعيدُ وقَطْعُهُ

وأمَامَها السَّفَرُ البَعيدُ وقَطْعُهُ

بِالبِرِّ لا بِقُرومِها وبِكَارِها

بِالبِرِّ لا بِقُرومِها وبِكَارِها

And before her lies the long journey, whose crossing

And ahead of it is the long journey, traversing it

is by righteousness, not by her stud camels or her young camels.

With righteousness, not with its food or its vehicles

والدَّهرُ يَطْرقُ بالخطوبِ وما لَنَا

والدَّهرُ يَطْرقُ بالخطوبِ وما لَنَا

بعَوانِها أَيْدٌ ولا أَبْكارِها

بعَوانِها أَيْدٌ ولا أَبْكارِها

And Time comes knocking with calamities, and we have no

And time stalks with calamities, and we have

strength against their seasoned ones, nor their maiden ones.

No hands against its helpers, no riders against them

والتُرْبُ أوكارُ الأنامِ وكُلُّنَا

والتُرْبُ أوكارُ الأنامِ وكُلُّنَا

كالطَّيرِ رائحةً إلى أَوْكارِها

كالطَّيرِ رائحةً إلى أَوْكارِها

And the dust is humankind’s nesting place, and we are all

And dust are the burrows of mankind, and all of us

like birds returning at evening to their nests.

Are birds flying towards their burrows